The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-03-10
A REGISTERED LETTER.

A REGISTERED LETTER.
s.Fhere's a registered letter for Katy
Mulyaney!'
The letter-carrier shouted it on the
steps of Brady's big tenement, near
Tompkins Square. The tenants of the
house caught up the cry and passed it
up toward the roof. The children in
the street echoed it:
..Katy Mulvaneym
There was nearly million children
on the block, at rough under-esti-
mate. and from among them came six
Katy Mulvaneys, three of them with
younger Mulvaneys in their arms.
But the postman waved them away.
Not one of them was old enough for
registered letter.
Mrs Mulvaney dwelt on the top
floor; but at the moment she was in
the basement getting water for the
weeks wash. Thence she emerged,
wiping her rosy arms, nodded and
tinted like twin Westphalia hams, on
her broad apron.
..Fwat's to the fore?" she inquired,
as she caught the reverberations of her
daughters name.
sThere's registered letter for Katy
Mulvaney," said the good-natured ear
rier.
.Fwat's that?'' asked Mrs Null
vaney.
"A registered letter." repeated the
carrier, wearily.
'Tis offishle it bees, Mrs. Mulva-
ney," volunteered Mr.. Mcguire, the
superannuated licensed vender, who
was smoking his clay pipe in the hall
way; :. tis the govermint, an the ju-
disheary, an the police, an the dis
pensdry offishles as sens them things;
sure, had wan wanst, whin l forgot
to pay me iceuse."
30, militia murthur!" walled Mrs.
Mulvaney. with startling suddenness;
..an fwat have | done to have disgrace
t'rown upon me, an me the mother of
eleven?" Her apron went over her
head, by way of sackcloth, and her
choked lamentations came from under
it: 20, Katy, the mother I've been to
We, an We 10 bring shame on the name
of Mulvaney! Sure, no wan would
never have thought it, ne'er time!
'Tis ahl along o thin picnics, an the
foreign Dutchmin from Italy infestin'
the ward, so it is! Fwat have We
dOne-fwat have We done! An ne'er
Mulvaney was iver in coort, forbye
TIL ould mon, and him only whin he
clared out the saloon on the Square,
which twas bilin' he was, an of Il
New-Year's, like gintleman should
and the boss came down himself an
bailed him out, and give Security! An
daughter of mine to be brought to
the likes of this-a register letther-
U, Mary. save us.
BY this time there was a crowd of
sympathizing women about Mrs. Null
yaney. irving to console her in seven
teen different brogues. Mrs. McGar
han, who was tritle under 100 years
old. and who keened at all the old
time wakes in the ward. took the
lead.
''Sure she do not oonderstand it,
dear soul, she do not. 'Tis an ahner
the govermint does We, dear. Tis no
suppeny-'tis diplomy. more like.
Cheer up, there's a darlint! Sure,
she explained to the postman, ..Katy's
the good girl, SO she is, an it's into
the fact'ry in Broome street she works,
an brings home her wages regular,
an niver the wurrd said agin her, bar
rim the young min is ahl afther her,
an proud her mother should be of
that same, for she bein' dacint-'
.'Say," interrupted the carrier, ..who's
going to sign for that letter? l can't
wait here all day, Here's the receipt.
Now. Mrs, Mulvaney, you sign this.
Got pen ank ink?''
'.Houldr' interjected Mr.. Mcguire:
''I've got Il pinsle. ahlways carry a
pinsle. 'Tis the way of mon of busi-
ess."
Pencil won't do said the carrier;
..the rules of the office say this has to
be signed in ink
''An' fware will get the ink?" de-
manded Mrs. Mulvaney, drying the
unnecessary tears from her eyes with
her apron rolled over her arm. ..Mul-
vaney's no poet, wild an inkstand un-
der his arm"
Dunno" said the postman; .'hasn't
one of these ladies got a bottle of
ink?''
''SOrra a bottle of ink in the house"
said Mr. Mcguire solemnly, gazing out
upon the audience of children in the
street, "barrin' my own"
''Well, fetch that then''-the post
man was growing impatient.
81 had it whin / had me business, in
siventy-eight," said Mr.. Mcguire, with
undiminished solemnity; ''an'I sold it
out wild me chattels the mortgage was
on"
The postman glared at Mr.. Mcguire
for half minute.
But KEEP me pinsle," Mr.. Mcguire
added, as he drew hard on his pipe and
leaned against the wall and looked back
into the glorious past.
Pencil won't dor' said the carrier;
snow you've got to rustic around and
get some ink. l can't stay here all
day, and it's ink or no letter" And
he leaned up against the wall opposite
Mr. Mcguire and looked determined.
The crowd of sympathizers resolved
itself into Committee of Ways and
Means, and Mesdames Finnegan and
O'Toole were made subcommittee
with power to borrow the Heedful
fluid. They set out bravely; but their
quest was in vain. The German tailor
over the way declined to lend his ink
on the ground that the amount of the
Irish trade which came his way was
not commensurate with the accommo-
dation demanded. The Hungarian
proprietor of the next-door beer sa-
loon looked upon the request for the
loan of his inkstand as an incendiary
deliverance, covering deep. conspira-
cy against himself and his property,
and he retreated into his back room,
under cover of Hungarian profanity.
The French lady who did up lace cur
aaius was out, ia the epd. twas Ma.